Don't Lie!

The whole world, not just the USA, is living in an age in which lies, misinformation, deception and rumors (gossip under the cover of an acceptable conspiracy theory) is rampant. It is not a new evil behaviour. According to the Torah false witnesses against innocent victims and lies and rumours, i.e., gossip, are a very ancient evil among us. In what is commonly called the Ten Commandments we read the instruction to do not let a false witness speak. While saying lies is obviously wrong, the commandment is concerned not with saying a lie per se rather speaking a lie that will hurt an individual or a whole nation. This ancient evil seems to be more common today, because it is a lot easier to write, speak or post anything anyone wants through the various media systems available via the internet. Centuries ago only the rich were able to control the limited new printing press. Later photocopiers made it easier for almost anyone to print and distribute a newsletter or even a full magazine. Of course, this was positive. To broadcast via television or radio it took a lot of businesses to sponsor it. Now anyone with a mobile telephone or a laptop can broadcast or stream almost anything, especially lies and misinformation. That's not positive. There are those who do it for "fun" without concern of who may be hurt. There are others who do it with evil intentions knowing the damage they are doing by manipulating others to react with anger or even violence. Politicians from any spectrum between the extreme right to the extreme left have made use, in one way or another, of defamation and other forms of misinformation, that is with half-truth, full lies, gossip, and twisting a little the facts or exaggerating them. Very few have said a lie without knowing the facts or shared by mistake something that was not true. Too often, these false witnesses know very well the facts, the truth, but intentionally they lie. Sadly many of them advocate for the display of the Ten Commandments or proudly stand holding a Bible on their hands, while ignoring a very clear instruction:

לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְרֵעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר׃

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Exodus 20:13

ISRAEL, LIGHT OF THE NATIONS

The tragic events of January 6th, 2021, in the Capitol of the USA, is a reminder that Israel, meaning those of the Jewish faith, whatever tradition that may be (including those with roots within ancient Judaism, e.g., Islam and Christianity) must be a light to the nations. Including in the Modern State of Israel, where so many people, even Jews, have become secular and assimilating to the point that racist gangs can be found in the streets of Tel Aviv. We must never forget the words from the Torah (Exodus 19:5)

וְעַתָּ֗ה אִם־שָׁמ֤וֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ בְּקֹלִ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֑י וִהְיִ֨יתֶם לִ֤י סְגֻלָּה֙ מִכָּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים כִּי־לִ֖י כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

In the Torah Yasharah, translator Chas Kahane interprets it: ‘Now then, if you will indeed accept my instructions, and keep my covenant which I made with the Patriarchs, then you shall be My chosen treasure from among all the nations: for all the earth is Mine, but you alone have I chosen to be a light to the nations.

cf. Isaiah 49:6

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָקֵ֨ל מִֽהְיוֹתְךָ֥ לִי֙ עֶ֔בֶד לְהָקִים֙ אֶת־שִׁבְטֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּנְצוּרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְהָשִׁ֑יב וּנְתַתִּ֙יךָ֙ לְא֣וֹר גּוֹיִ֔ם לִֽהְי֥וֹת יְשׁוּעָתִ֖י עַד־קְצֵ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ 

For He has said: “It is too little that you should be my servant In that I raise up the tribes of Jacob And restore the survivors of Israel: I will also make you a light of nations, That my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”

Judaism and Christmas

 

A Canadian musical documentary, "Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas," explores the contribution of Jewish song writers to Christmas celebration in the USA. The press release summarizes the documentary saying: "Set almost entirely in a Chinese restaurant, Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas is an offbeat, irreverent musical documentary that tells the story of a group of Jewish songwriters, including Irving Berlin, Mel Tormé, Jay Livingston, Ray Evans, Gloria Shayne Baker and Johnny Marks, who wrote the soundtrack to Christianity’s most musical holiday. It’s an amazing tale of immigrant outsiders who became irreplaceable players in pop culture’s mainstream - a generation of songwriters who found in Christmas the perfect holiday in which to imagine a better world, and for at least one day a year, make us believe in it."  https://dreamingofajewishchristmas.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/DreamingofaJewishChristmas-PressKit-Nov2017.pdf

While it makes a good contribution on Jewish music history, it is misleading by claiming that Jewish song writers, like Berlin, contributed to the secularization of Christmas in the USA. This is incorrect. Christmas in the USA as well as in Europe was becoming a secular event centuries before. This was one of the reasons Puritan churches refused to celebrate Christmas. Only the Orthodox and Catholic churches kept it as a mass in memory of Jesus (called Christ), therefore Christmas. No, Jewish people did not make the traditional Christian religious celebration remembering the birth of Jesus of Nazareth (although anachronistic). The film is available at https://vimeo.com/483748540/dd3e49c4ec 

Our concern is not so much with the secularization of other religious traditions. We must be concerned with the secularization of our religious festivals. Many of these ancient festivals were secular traditions which on the hands of ancient Israel became an opportunity of worship and honouring the Holy One of Israel. Today there is a tragic trend of secularization of many of these festivals, especially in Israel. We must remember the words from Leviticus 23, which starts with these words:

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יי אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying:

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יי אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם מִקְרָאֵ֣י קֹ֑דֶשׁ אֵ֥לֶּה הֵ֖ם מוֹעֲדָֽי׃

Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: These are My fixed times, the fixed times of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as sacred occasions.